Depleted Rutgers crushed by Houston

PISCATAWAY — It took Rutgers only one play Saturday to realize its deep defensive issues could get even more dire.

Safety Lorenzo Waters went down with a high-ankle sprain on the first play from scrimmage, and Houston had its way offensively at High Point Solutions Stadium, dropping Rutgers, 49-14.

“There’s no pity or sympathy even involved,” head coach Kyle Flood said. “There’s no team in the country that’s going to feel bad for us. Everybody’s dealing with injury issues all over the country.”

Waters was Rutgers’ third starter in the secondary lost in less than two weeks to injury or transfer. His absence left the Scarlet Knights (4-3, 1-2) with two true freshmen, a little-used junior and a former running back against the American Athletic Conference’s top scoring offense.

Defensive coordinator Dave Cohen said before the season he had to marry Rutgers’ pressure-heavy philosophies with an inexperienced secondary. Houston (6-1, 3-0) magnified that dynamic as wide receiver Deontay Greenberry ran at will through Rutgers’ second level.

“I don’t look at last year,” defensive end Jamil Merrell said when asked about the team’s previous performances against spread teams. “I just look at right now. We’re not getting the job done.”

Greenberry’s 83-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter was the longest allowed this season by Rutgers.

Greenberry, second in the conference in receiving yards per game, manipulated the middle of Rutgers’ zone defense. True freshman John O’Korn found him in stride. The Knights’ fill-in defensive backs chased him in vain.

A back-shoulder throw to Demarcus Ayers followed less than a minute later after a Rutgers fumble.

“There are a few issues (that are) personnel-based,” middle linebacker Steve Longa said, “but we all have to get on the same page and play football.”

A combination of graduation, missed recruiting targets and injury have depleted the Knights’ cornerback rotation. Rutgers converted true freshman Delon Stephenson to corner from safety during the team’s bye week.

Flood said Stephenson would play cornerback at some point Saturday, but a two-score deficit didn’t add up to Stephenson’s first substantial snaps there.

Rutgers’ offense didn’t help. A failed third-quarter halfback pass at Houston’s goal line was the nadir of six turnovers — until a Nova interception in the end zone followed on the next drive. Offensive coordinator Ron Prince scrapped an aggressive pass philosophy while the game was within reach. Three seldom-used freshmen receivers saw extensive snaps.

Still, Rutgers’ defensive concerns appear to have no resolution in the near future. Cohen can’t game plan for MRI results.

Only one team of consequence, Central Florida, runs a spread offense on Rutgers’ remaining five-game schedule. But with a depleted pass defense, opposing coordinators will likely employ more spread principles.

“You coach long enough that you get to be on both sides of these (lopsided games),” Flood said. “You never think it’s easy. But certainly when you look at the turnover disparity, that’s how I think the score gets out of hand the way it did.”